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Week 9: Sixers Rankings

It was an up-and-down week for the Sixers. In a convincing win against the Pistons, the Sixers lost Jimmy Butler to a groin injury. They would go on to lose the following two games at home in his absence. Butler returned on Sunday against the Cavs to help the Sixers get an easy win and finish the week 2-2. Let’s take a look at this week’s Sixers Rankings.

1. Joel Embiid (27 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks)

Embiid was back to dominating this week. The highlight of his week was a 40 point, 21 rebound performance against the Pacers on Friday. Embiid joins Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard, DeMarcus Cousins, and Karl-Anthony Towns as the only players to have at least 40 points and 20 rebounds in a game in the last 10 years.

2. Jimmy Butler (20 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 42% 3PT)

Butler went down with a scary injury on Monday but it doesn’t appear to be serious. He missed most of the week but return on Sunday and helped the Sixers rout the Cavs. He finished with 19 points on 6-10 from the field. He also knocked down 3 threes. As of now, he is secure as the second-best player on the Sixers, but Simmons is coming for his spot.

3. Ben Simmons (16 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 1.5 steals, 57% FG)

It was a great week for Ben Simmons. He is really rounding into form and it’s a pleasant surprise to seem him attacking the basket looking for his own shot. He shot 60% from the field this week on 14 attempts per game. He paced the Sixers over the Cavs securing his third triple-double of the season. Simmons has 15 career triple-doubles and is tied with Chris Paul for seventh-most among active players. It will be interesting to see if Simmons continues his aggressive approach with Butler fully back in the lineup this week.

4. J.J. Redick (18 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 35% 3PT, 94% FT)

Redick continues to slump from beyond the arc, going 9-31 (29%) from the three-point line last week. However, he still manages to hit key shots and his ability to space the floor is vital to the Sixers offense.

5. T.J. McConnell (6 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assist, 57% FG)

McConnell provided his usual energy off the bench while he added a scoring punch early in the week. He finished with 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists against the Pistons. He followed that up with 17 points on 8-10 shooting from the field against the Nets. McConnell’s spot in the top five is fairly secure as Brett Brown continues to utilize the guard in a variety of lineups.

Best of the Rest:

6. Wilson Chandler (6 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 38% 3PT)

Every few games, Wilson Chandler is due to flash some playmaking ability resembling his days in Denver. He helped the Sixers defeat the Cavs behind 11 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks. He starts at power forward for the Sixers providing a veteran presence on the floor.

7. Landry Shamet (8 points, 1.5 rebound, 1 assist, 40% 3PT)

Shamet continues to shoot the ball well, connecting on 63% of his three-pointers last week. Brett Brown seems to trust the rookie and keeps putting him on the floor in big situations.

8. Mike Muscala (8 points, 5 rebounds, 1.5 assist, 33% 3PT)

Muscala is still struggling. While he provides size to the second unit, his three-point shooting has been abysmal. He could be on the trade block as the Sixers may look to upgrade the roster in the next few weeks.

9. Furkan Korkmaz (6 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 33% 3PT)

Korkmaz started at small forward in Jimmy Butler’s absence. He played well against the Nets finishing with 18 points and 7 rebounds. However, he followed that up with a dud against the Pacers, shooting 2-10 from the field and committing four fouls. According to Basketball-Reference, Korkmaz finished with the worst game of any NBA player on Friday. Like Muscala, Korkmaz could be moved to upgrade the bench.